Iatrakis G (2024) Alcohol Consumption during Pregnancy. J Subst Abuse Alcohol 11(1): 1100.

Alcohol intake during pregnancy has a rising prevalence in certain countries and in certain subpopulations [1], depending on different factors and study periods. Considering that the consequences of alcohol intake during pregnancy could be dramatic for the fetus-neonate, and that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, screening of this condition is absolutely necessary. Actually, screening of pregnant women for alcohol use has become more important than ever and should be a public health priority [2].

Furthermore, since alcohol is a strong teratogen (freely crossing the placenta), compromising foetal growth, and there is no safe level of alcohol consumption during any trimester of pregnancy, complete abstinence is necessary during all trimesters of pregnancy.

Clinical reports on monozygotic and dizygotic twins provided evidence for the involvement of genetic factors in risk vulnerability for FASD [3]. Although some maternal and foetal gene polymorphisms could explain variations in alcohol levels among the same amounts of ethanol ingestion, alcohol intake during pregnancy is not safe for the foetus in any amount of alcohol intake and in any combination of those polymorphisms.

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy could result in a broad range of adverse foetal sequelae including foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) included in FASD, partial festal alcohol syndrome (pFAS), birth of small for gestational age infants, infants of low birth weight and/ or infants with neurodevelopmental impairment.

It seems that consumption of low amounts of alcohol over several days (e.g., a small amount of daily drinking during a week) exerts a weaker negative effect compared to binge drinking (eg, seven! drinks in one sitting).

However, the full impact of alcohol consumption on offspring brain can manifest a few years after exposure. Thus, later specific findings could include severe brain dysfunction with attention problems, intelligence quotient (IQ) below normal for age, and problems related to certain activities, memory, and or language.

Finally, there are some factors that increase the risk of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, as smoking, use of illicit drugs, low socioeconomic status, unemployed, history of physical abuse, partner who drinks heavily, and having psychologic stress and factors that increase the risk of FAS, including high parity and older maternal age.

1. Gosdin LK, Deputy NP, Kim SY, Dang EP, Denny CH. Alcohol Consumption and Binge Drinking During Pregnancy Among Adults Aged 18-49 Years - United States, 2018-2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022; 71: 10-13.

2. Dozet D, Burd L, Popova S. Screening for Alcohol Use in Pregnancy: a Review of Current Practices and Perspectives. Int J Ment Health Addict. 2023; 21: 1220-1239.

3. Warren KR, Li TK. Genetic polymorphisms: impact on the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol. 2005; 73: 195-203.